


Fic prompt: Hoji and Jasmine, ten years later

by zarahjoyce



Category: Dekaranger, Sentai - Fandom, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-28
Updated: 2014-02-28
Packaged: 2018-01-14 02:07:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1248697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarahjoyce/pseuds/zarahjoyce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Requested fic; just as the title says.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fic prompt: Hoji and Jasmine, ten years later

She’d never felt the years creep up to her like they did, and wondered if she somehow dreamed them all.

The lines beginning to creep up her face, however, told her otherwise.

-

The last to remain behind and retain her colors among the six members - that she was. All the others pursued other points in their lives. Some movements, professional; others, personal, and _really_ , she was glad for them all.

(it’s not envy or jealousy curling up in her stomach when she meets them for lunch, sees the products of their advancement, hears them brag about gaining a new rank or bearing a new son or marrying the love of their life. no, it’s not.

she smiles until her teeth ache and wisely, no one asks her about her plans for the future, for she has none.)

After all, she’d refused one promotion after the next because promotion meant change and change meant transfer, and she was not too keen at the notion of being treated differently because she was different somewhere else.

She hadn’t the patience to endure _that_ cycle again.

Here, she was accepted, known, and it was all right. Her skill made her _normal_ here.

She would just remind herself that this was her choice, her choice, _her choice._

-

One day, she reported to work to see him there.

"Hoji?" she asked, and she had more questions to ask aside from the one currently burning in her mouth: _why are you wearing your old uniform?_

He gave her a smile (the biggest one she’d seen on him yet) and said, simply, “Good morning.”

He slid her cup of tea towards her like he did so many years ago.

Like he hadn’t been absent from their gatherings four years running.

-

Later she’d hear from him that the years had been both kind and unkind to him; because no matter where his promotions got him, he did his work well, but no matter how well he did his work, his restlessness got the better of him.

"I came back," he said, looking somewhere at the distance, "because I was at peace here the most."

"You’ll find everything here’s changed, though," she said.

"Some things haven’t," he replied, glancing at her.

She smiled.

Just for this moment, she was glad she stayed.


End file.
